- Entries for the 2024 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards now open
- The Awards support, develop and recognise excellence in Western Australian writing with a total prize pool of $120,000
- The $60,000 Western Australian Writer's Fellowship is one of the most valuable literary awards in Australia and is open to Western Australian writers
All Western Australian writers are being urged to enter the 2024 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, which have opened today for books published or self-published in 2023.
The State Government is urging people to join some of Western Australia's magnificent writers, including Tracy Ryan, Sisonke Msimang, Amanda Curtin, and A.J. Betts, by applying for the $60,000 Western Australian Writer's Fellowship, one of the most valuable awards in Australian arts.
The Awards are managed by the State Library of Western Australia and prizes are awarded in the following categories:
- The Western Australian Writer's Fellowship ($60,000);
- The Premier's Prize for Book of the Year, sponsored by Writing WA ($15,000);
- The Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer ($15,000);
- The Premier's Prize for Children's Book of the Year ($15,000); and
- The Daisy Utemorrah Award for Unpublished Indigenous Junior and Young Adult Fiction ($15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books).
The Daisy Utemorrah Award is administered and funded by Broome-based Indigenous publisher Magabala Books with support from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and Copyright Agency.
Entries for all categories are open from 15 January 2024 and close on 26 February 2024. Winners will be announced at the State Library in June 2024.
For more information about the WA Premier's Book Awards and how to enter, visit the State Library's website slwa.wa.gov.au
Comments attributed to Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
"Western Australia has an incredible depth of dedicated and talented writers. The Premier's Book Awards help Western Australians to discover our brilliant homegrown talent and to support our emerging authors.
"The State Library is the home of the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards because it is the home of Western Australian literature.
"It celebrates and supports Western Australian storytellers and cherishes, collects and preserves historical stories, photographs, diaries, maps, newspapers, letters, music, films and books."
